small seeds ???

Tomstrees · October 9, 2006

do seedlings grow like tomatoes?
the seeds are so small ???!!!

~ Tom

Sorellina · October 10, 2006

Ciao Tom,

Yep, they do, but the stems aren't as strong so be careful, they can be quite friable. When conditions are warm, they grow quite fast. I usually seed them a good 2 weeks after starting my tomatoes so I don't accidentally break stems when transplanting. Make sure you plant a couple together. Carolyn told me this when I first had the idea of growing them..they need each other for pollination. Fruit falls off the plants easily and in warm climates, the plants will re-seed themselves. Don't be discouraged if it takes quite a while for the fruit to fill out the little packages. Ours were quite late this year and are now loaded with fruit. I've been making lots of salsa with them.

Cheers!

Tomstrees · October 12, 2006

Sorellina ~

I can't wait to give them a try ~
I was so impressed with their flavor !
I think the one I had has pineapple in the name ~
Delicious ~
So have you ever planted in pots?
Or ground only ?

~ Tom

Sorellina · October 12, 2006

Ciao Tom,

I've done both. Last year, they were just in 15 gal IKEA buckets and they went crazy, totally rootbound, but absolutely covered with fruits. I got 1 case of 250ml jars of salsa from them. This year, though...I decided, why not plant more of a good thing and put 10 plants behind Duane's pepper planet. They got off to a slow start, but now, they're going nuts, just in time for the blizzards to start here. I've canned 2 cases of 500 ml jars of salsa from them and have a huge basket of them to deal with still, plus fruit on the plants still if the weather doesn't kill them.

The trickiest time for me with tomatillos is during the seedling/transplanting stage. Because the vines are very fragile, they break easily. They also tolerate cold even less than eggplants, so be aware, put them out when it's warm and transplant in the morning, not in the full heat of the afternoon. If you get through that part, it's smooth sailing. Just need patience, though..fruit takes a while to fill out.

Tomstrees · October 13, 2006

I thought they'd be tricky ...
The seeds look sooo small ~
I'm going to give a plant a try this summer ...
I had one, and it was sooo sweet ???
Its like you could make jam from them !

~ Tom

October 9, 2006	#1
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	small seeds ??? do seedlings grow like tomatoes? the seeds are so small ???!!! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

October 10, 2006	#2
Sorellina Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 300	Ciao Tom, Yep, they do, but the stems aren't as strong so be careful, they can be quite friable. When conditions are warm, they grow quite fast. I usually seed them a good 2 weeks after starting my tomatoes so I don't accidentally break stems when transplanting. Make sure you plant a couple together. Carolyn told me this when I first had the idea of growing them..they need each other for pollination. Fruit falls off the plants easily and in warm climates, the plants will re-seed themselves. Don't be discouraged if it takes quite a while for the fruit to fill out the little packages. Ours were quite late this year and are now loaded with fruit. I've been making lots of salsa with them. Cheers! __________________ Grazie a tutti, Julianna

October 12, 2006	#3
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Sorellina ~ I can't wait to give them a try ~ I was so impressed with their flavor ! I think the one I had has pineapple in the name ~ Delicious ~ So have you ever planted in pots? Or ground only ? ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

October 12, 2006	#4
Sorellina Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 300	Ciao Tom, I've done both. Last year, they were just in 15 gal IKEA buckets and they went crazy, totally rootbound, but absolutely covered with fruits. I got 1 case of 250ml jars of salsa from them. This year, though...I decided, why not plant more of a good thing and put 10 plants behind Duane's pepper planet. They got off to a slow start, but now, they're going nuts, just in time for the blizzards to start here. I've canned 2 cases of 500 ml jars of salsa from them and have a huge basket of them to deal with still, plus fruit on the plants still if the weather doesn't kill them. The trickiest time for me with tomatillos is during the seedling/transplanting stage. Because the vines are very fragile, they break easily. They also tolerate cold even less than eggplants, so be aware, put them out when it's warm and transplant in the morning, not in the full heat of the afternoon. If you get through that part, it's smooth sailing. Just need patience, though..fruit takes a while to fill out. __________________ Grazie a tutti, Julianna

October 13, 2006	#5
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	I thought they'd be tricky ... The seeds look sooo small ~ I'm going to give a plant a try this summer ... I had one, and it was sooo sweet ??? Its like you could make jam from them ! ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale